Member News
April 2023
Our Vision

Making a difference in the Lowcountry through the power of collective giving.


Mission Statement

Through a woman’s unique lens, we will:

· Promote the power of collective giving

· Engage and inspire women along their philanthropic path

· Support new approaches to address community needs

Advisory Board

Lesley Gilbert
Chair

Mary Stuart Alderman
Grants Chair

Kaye Black
Membership Cultivation Chair

Betty Irby
Governance Chair

Carole Galli
Education Chair

Gigi Maxfield
Communications Chair

Open
Membership Records Chair

Rosalie VanDam
Events Chair
WIP Events: Looking Ahead
May 12
Lowcountry Gullah Table of Culture and Grace
USCB
6:00 pm
WIP Table Full!

May 17
Spring Luncheon
Colleton River
11:30 am-2:00 pm
A Letter from Your WIP Chair
Greetings,

Congratulations to you all on our 20th Anniversary. Yes, the entire 2023 is our special year, but the Anniversary Celebration at the Coastal Discovery Museum made it a visible reality and full of joy. I add my thanks to the committee, the members and guests who attended, those who couldn’t be there yet contributed, and to all our current members who make Women in Philanthropy possible. We will continue the celebration with our Spring Luncheon on May 17 at Colleton River, and we hope to see you there. You will get the opportunity to experience how the 2022 grants made a difference in our community and to cheer on the 2023 Grantees. It will be special.

Shifting gears, I want to update you on the survey that we asked for your participation in early February. Looking at the results made me think of the Roman god Janus. In myth, he is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, passages, and is often depicted as having two faces. This is why January (named after Janus) bridges two years. I make this reference as we look back and celebrate our amazing 20 years. The posters at the party memorialized much of that history. This survey also looked back, but also gives the Advisory Board an opportunity to use your insights as we shape our future. The future of our community is dependent on many influences and Women in Philanthropy offers hope to many as that future evolves.

Thanks to the 67 of you who took the time to thoughtfully respond to the survey. We had a 46% response rate, which is quite good for any survey. Just as we are pleased every month with the exceedingly high open rate for our newsletter, this exemplifies your engagement with WIP. The results show that as well. We had a good distribution of length of membership, with the greatest concentration of members 1-4 years. It was no surprise that most of us learned about WIP from a friend. This reinforces how important it is to keep talking about WIP. You responded that you enjoy all events, from educational to the more social in nature. We will keep that in mind as we work on our future activities. Most of you are aware of our contribution levels, however, there appears to still be some confusion about the timing of contributions. Look for specific communications around that. The next question focused on increasing our Endowment. 55% of you agreed with increasing the minimum contribution and 29% indicated favorability to a fundraiser. We will approach these options thoughtfully and welcome additional ideas. Some of you have expressed an interest in joining a committee or the Advisory Board, and we welcome your interest and talents. Please reach out to any of us to learn about these opportunities.


Sincerely,

Lesley

Lesley Gilbert
Advisory Board Chair, 2022-24
Women in Philanthropy
Quote of the Month
A girl should not expect special privileges because of her sex but neither should she adjust to prejudice and discrimination.

Betty Friedan, writer and activist
20th Anniversary Recap - What a Celebration!
Our 20th Anniversary celebration was fabulous!

The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn is a special venue, and the beautiful evening enhanced our celebration. A balloon display greeted members as they came up the walkway to the porch, where all were welcomed by WIP Chair Lesley Gilbert and Anniversary Celebration Committee Chair Margaret McManus. Inside, you could hear the music playing as one picked up their name tag and continued to the bar area down the hallway. Posters with photo collages from the past 20 years were displayed at the end of the hallway and included photos of our grants and luncheons from 2003-2023. Two tables with heavy hors d'oeuvres were in one room and musicians, along with a current museum exhibition "Faces of the Gullah Geechee," were in the adjacent room. Over 80 WIP members and friends attended. There were lots of smiling faces, good food and wine, lovely music, and engaging conversations.

Women in Philanthropy has much to celebrate. Over the past 20 years, WIP has given out $921,383 in grants and built an endowment of $1.3 million. We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the past 20 years.

Our commitment to serving those in need in our community continues as we go forth into the next 20 years!
Spring Luncheon - Save The Date!
Please join us on Tuesday, May 17, 2023 from 11:30 am-2:00 pm for the WIP Spring Luncheon!

The event takes place at the Colleton River Clubhouse and costs $45 per person.

To purchase a ticket, you may mail a check to Community Foundation of the Lowcountry or you can purchase your ticket online with a credit card by clicking on this link:
Please remember Women in Philanthropy when you update your wills and estate planning documents.
Women in Philanthropy is a Fund of